The fall of Kanye West’s billion-dollar empire: Adidas and Gap are cutting ties, the divorce battle with Kim Kardashian rages on, and J.P. Morgan are even closing his bank accounts
- The 45-year-old rapper, who now goes by Ye, has become ‘radioactive’ to brands after a string of anti-Semitic outbursts that even Tucker Carlson had to edit out for TV
- West has been blocked from Instagram and Twitter as he continues to spout conspiracy theories, while right-wing commentator Candace Owens paints him as a victim of ‘cancel culture’
In the past, Ye’s outbursts were often excused, in part, because of his struggle with bipolar disorder. But his recent actions have become more impossible to defend or overlook, and some brands like Adidas have begun to pull away.
West’s wife Kim Kardashian filed for divorce
West’s wife Kim Kardashian filed for divorce in 2021, prompting West to publicly lash out against her and her family. West threatened her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson with a mock murder in the music video for his song with The Game, “Eazy”, released in January 2022. Naturally controversy ensued: The Grammys cancelled his planned performance during the April ceremony, citing “concerning online behaviour”. Kid Cudi, his long-time friend and collaborator, also cut ties with West this year, saying, “It’s gonna take a ... miracle for me and that man to be friends again.”
Accusations of hate speech are mounting up
